Congolese Family Rejects Relative's Body Over Custody Death, Straining Border Ties

Diplomatic and communal relations have been strained at the Busanza border post following the refusal of a Congolese family to accept the body of Uwimana Ntirenganya, who died while in Ugandan police custody.

The family is demanding that the Ugandan government cover all burial expenses and provide compensation for the deceased’s dependents, citing the emotional and financial toll of his death.

Uwimana, 30, died on May 7 at Nyabwishenya Police Post. Official reports state he was detained on May 6 after an altercation at a bar and allegedly assaulted by two civilians. He was charged with threatening violence and found dead in his cell the next morning.

Allegations of a cover-up have surfaced, with claims that officers at the post colluded with the initial assault suspects to bury Uwimana’s body secretly in a tea plantation. The body was reportedly moved after the initial burial site proved too hard.

Following a court order, the body was exhumed and an autopsy performed. Four police officers and two civilians have been arrested in connection with the death.

Attempts by Ugandan authorities, including a formal apology from the Kisoro District Police Commander, to repatriate the body were unsuccessful. The family remains firm in their demands, rejecting a Shs500,000 contribution offered by local Ugandan business owners as insufficient.

The standoff has led to retaliatory actions, with reports of Congolese nationals destroying Ugandan crop gardens. Ugandan authorities are seeking a court order to proceed with the burial in a public cemetery if the family continues to refuse the body, a move that could further damage long-standing cross-border peace.

Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/tensions-flare-at-busanza-border-as-congolese-family-rejects-body-of-relative-who-died-in-ugandan-custody-5458604